Decomposition Behavior of Secondary Solidification Phase During Heat Treatment of Squeeze Cast Al-Cu-Si-Mg

용탕단조 Al-Cu-Si-Mg합금의 열처리시 제2응고상의 분해거동

The dissolution behavior of secondary solidification phases in squeeze cast Al-3.9wt%Cu-1.5wt%Si-1.0wt%Mg has been studied using a combination of optical microscope, image analyzer, scanning electron microscope(SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer(EDS), X-ray diffractometer(XRD) and differential thermal analyzer (DTA). Special emphasis was placed on the investigation of the effects of the nonequilibrium heat treatment on the dissolution of the second solidification phases. Ascast microstructure consisted of primary solidification product of ${\alpha}-Al$ and secondary solidification products of $Al_2Cu$, $Mg_2Si$ and $Al_2CuMg$. Equilibrium and non-equilibrium solution treatments were carried out at the temperatures of $495^{\circ}C$, $502^{\circ}C$ and $515^{\circ}C$ for 3 to 5 hours. The amount of the dissolved secondary phases increased with increasing solution treatment temperature, for example, area fractions of $Al_2Cu$, $Mg_2Si$ and $Al_2CuMg$ were approximately 0%, 1.6% and 4.2% after solution treatment at $495^{\circ}C$ for 5hours, and were approximately 0%, 0.36% and 2% after solution treatment at $515^{\circ}C$ for 5hours. The best combination of tensile properties was obtained when the as-cast alloy was solution treated at $515^{\circ}C$ for 3hours followed by aging at $180^{\circ}C$ for 10 hours. Detailed DTA and TEM study showed that the strengthening behavior during aging was due to enhanced precipitation of the platelet type fine ${\theta}'$ phase.